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Chapter 392: Mysore's Demise in Three Months!

The entire Pā was constructed on an earthen mound seventy to eighty meters high, featuring three concentric walls, with a lookout tower over five meters tall at its center.

Each wall consisted of sturdy tree trunks as supports, with numerous thinner wooden stakes densely interwoven on the outermost layer, backed by a 1.5-meter-thick rammed earth wall.

Defenders could stand on the rammed earth wall, peering out between the thick tree trunks to fire upon attackers.

Attacking muskets would struggle to penetrate the half-meter-thick trunks from a distance, and artillery fire would often cause cannonballs to ricochet off the lower, less imposing rammed earth walls.

Consequently, attackers would first need to use cannons to blast away all the wooden structures on the upper part of the earth wall before infantry could approach and storm it, only then having a chance to breach a single layer.

At the same time, the attacking force would find it incredibly difficult to hold the first two layers of walls, as they would be subjected to suppressive fire from the defenders above.

Nikau explained with excitement, "There are tunnels beneath the high tower. If we can't hold out, we'll escape through them."

Major Gaston scoffed, "The British will dig everywhere and find the tunnels..."

Nikau chuckled, "There are two tunnels, one shallow and one deep. The shallow one only extends about 300 meters, meant for the enemy to discover and destroy. The deep one leads to the forest behind us."

Fernand added, "We've also incorporated some advanced weapons for defense."

He gestured towards the tallest tower of the Pā:

"A 4-pounder cannon will be mounted there. Additionally, a large barrel of gunpowder is buried at the tunnel entrance; if the British try to pursue us inside, they'll receive a very 'explosive' gift."

Mysore's artillery factory was now fully operational. As the simplest type of light cannon to manufacture, a 4-pounder could be produced every day and a half, enough to equip numerous Pā fortresses for defense.

While this cannon's range was limited, if mounted atop a high tower, and with the Pā itself built on elevated ground, its commanding position could extend its effective range beyond even an 8-pounder.

Lafayette observed the crude earth-and-wood structure, a smile playing on his lips.

After all, this contraption had been built in just half a month, requiring only three Maori and fewer than 400 Mysore serfs to complete.

The one-month construction estimate previously given by Magnus had been based on Maori tool capabilities; the Maori, having not yet mastered metallurgy, used wooden shovels and stone axes. However, Mysore serfs arrived with iron farming tools, supplemented by numerous oxen and horses for assistance, completing the first Pā in just half the estimated time.

This was also because the serfs were unfamiliar with construction; once they became more proficient, the speed could increase even further!

...

Marquis Charles Cornwallis, Governor-General of India, glanced at the endless ranks of red-coated "lobsterbacks," puffing out his chest with self-satisfaction.

Yes, the East India Company's reinforcements had arrived!

Combined with the troops he had recently deployed from across India, he now commanded a formidable force of 9,000 British soldiers, along with substantial heavy artillery and supplies.

Flanking the British forces were 20,000 Maratha troops and 14,000 Hyderabad soldiers. Simultaneously, these two British vassal states continued to send reinforcements to North Kanara.

With such powerful military might at his disposal, Cornwallis was confident he could reach Mysore City within three months, forcing Tipu to sign a surrender in early next year and pay the East India Company enormous war reparations.

He sneered and let out a soft huff. "Lafayette, this time I will repay every bit of the humiliation from North America!"

Years ago, he had been present at the British surrender ceremony in Yorktown, America, where Lafayette had sat across from him, looking utterly triumphant.

However, that very afternoon, his vanguard halted just two miles after his grand army had entered Mangalore, Mysore.

Cornwallis frowned, turning to his chief of staff:

"Michael, what's happened?"

The chief of staff spurred his horse forward to inquire about the situation, returning half an hour later with an officer from the vanguard, who reported to Cornwallis:

"General, Lieutenant Colonel Presley's regiment encountered the Mysoreans'..."

He glanced at the officer beside him:

"He says it's some kind of redoubt."

"It's not really a bastion," the officer quickly clarified. "It looks very crude, made of wood and earth, but it has a cannon on top, so the Regimental Commander decided to destroy it first."

Cornwallis frowned and waved a hand. "Tell Presley to hasten his movements."

"Yes, General!"

By noon the next day, Marquis Cornwallis's expression had darkened as he listened to the incessant boom of cannons from a distance—the shelling hadn't stopped since yesterday morning.

He swung himself onto his horse and rode personally to the vanguard to assess the situation.

"I'm very sorry, General," Lieutenant Colonel Presley said, grimacing as he glanced into the distance. "That thing is... peculiar. Cannonballs have little effect on it. Furthermore, only a 12-pounder heavy cannon can shell it from a safe distance. Yesterday, an 8-pounder was nearly hit by the Mysoreans' cannon."

Cornwallis glared at him with resentment. "It's merely a primitive Indian fortification, yet you've deployed ten cannons and spent two days without managing to take it!"

He risked moving closer to the engagement zone and soon spotted the Mysoreans' "redoubt" through his telescope.

The structure resembled an oversized granary, but he immediately saw a dark projectile ricochet diagonally into the air after kicking up a spray of wood splinters.

From experience, he knew it must have been a 12-pounder cannonball.

'To think that wretched Indian "granary" caused a ricochet!'

Enraged, Cornwallis ordered his elite skirmisher battalion and three 12-pounder cannons to be brought up, commanding that this "granary" must be breached before nightfall!

Following a suppressive barrage from the heavy cannons, the British skirmisher battalion, under the cover of a thousand infantrymen, bravely charged up the earthen mound.

The Mysoreans retaliated from behind the wooden walls, but their poor marksmanship and chaotic command resulted in hitting fewer than ten British soldiers.

Subsequently, the British skirmishers reached the first wall and clambered through a breach.

Cornwallis smiled triumphantly, lowered his telescope, and returned to his temporary command post. In an hour at most, his officers would arrive with prisoners to report on the battle.

Soon after, however, his skirmisher battalion's commander reported back, looking utterly disheveled, stating that the first assault had failed, with 27 soldiers lost.

Cornwallis's eyelid twitched. He demanded:

"Hadn't you already pushed in?"

"Yes, yes, General," the skirmisher commander replied, his head bowed. "The Mysoreans set fire to the first trench and attacked us by throwing stones from above... Until the cannons breach the second wall, I had no choice but to temporarily withdraw..."